Dredge Masters takes over dredging of Odaw drain

By Edmund Smith-Asante

 

Dredge Masters Limited, a Ghanaian-owned leading provider of dredging services, has now been given the job of dredging the Odaw drain which runs through a greater part of Accra.

It is the first company to be contracted by the government to clear the drain after the philanthropic gesture by Mr Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners following the June 3, 2015 floods.

Dredge Masters, a subsidiary of the Zoomlion Group of Companies, has been awarded the contract since November 2015. 

The company has since dredged parts of the drain which stretches from Achimota to the Korle Lagoon to allow the free flow of water in the drain and also forestall any floods.

The Operations Manager of Dredge Masters, Mr Sena Adiepena, told the Daily Graphic that about 60 per cent of the work had been done.

He added that as part of the project, people living along the drain would be sensitised to sanitation matters, while waste bins would be provided for them to ensure environmental cleanliness in the area.

Focus

He said the dredging work had been segmented into eight parts and that work was currently ongoing in five parts. 

The contractors are using four mini dredgers known as ‘water masters’, excavators, pay loaders and dump trucks with about 100 workers.

The focus now was to clear a huge blockage from the Caprice Bridge to the Korle Lagoon which had been identified as a very critical point during the rainy season, he said.

“The idea is to work at a rate to avoid any flooding. The overall aim of the project is not just to clear or clean the drain but also beautify the area and ensure proper sanitation and waste disposal,” he added.

Challenges

Mr Adiepena said “looking at that whole stretch, you realise that there are many bottlenecks, including several silted areas, with even plant growth in the drain. Other activities such as improper disposal of rubbish and the throwing of waste materials into the drain all add up to the blockage”. 

He recommended the creation of a silt trap to deal with the situation. 

“From time to time, what is actually required is that there should be a silt trap, so that once in a while we clear the drain and put the mechanism back. Even though that was not engineered or designed into the original plan, we are looking at that,” he indicated.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

This story was first published by graphiconline.com on May 12, 2016